New Beers
Barely a day goes by without another seasonal or one-off special flying out of an Australian brewery (if not ten). Here and in our weekly newsletter, we'll bring you news and, if we've sampled them, our take on as many of them as possible. Happy hunting!
Aether Brewing Oak & Organisms: Sour Brown 2020
Tapped November 5, 2020
The first fruits of Aether’s barrel program are finally here, and they’re tasting ripe. Aether founder Dave Ward is always thinking of what’s going on at a microscopic level in his beer – he speaks of “the little organisms that tend to do what they want a lot of the time” – and now he’s encouraging drinkers to start thinking about it too. The luxurious burnished bronze cans show a microscope growing out of an oak branch above the name of the new series - Oak & Organisms. This… Read more
Dark Brown
- Style
- Oud Bruin
- ABV
- 5.5%
Burnley Watermelon Crush (with Local Brewing Co) & Wit Me Away
Tapped November 4, 2020
The perennial fruit gatherers at Burnley are back plundering trees again. For their second Fruits of our Labour collaboration with Local Brewing Co, who use beer to provide meals to those in need through their partnership with SecondBite (and recently rebranded from A Local Beer), they follow their banana bread brown ale with Watermelon Crush. Again, the beer makes use of sourdough bread destined for the bin and, while watermelon is often showcased in sours, here it’s found in a hazy pale, where… Read more
Pale Yellow
- Style
- Watermelon Hazy & Belgian Witbier
- ABV
- 4.8% & 5.4%
Six String Hop Hesher DDH IPA
Tapped November 4, 2020
For those not in the know, a hesher refers to a diehard enthusiast of heavy metal music, so one can assume a Hop Hesher refers to those among us who are diehard enthusiasts of hops. That's certainly the case with this spring small batch release from Six String, with their Hop Hesher DDH IPA a great all round sessionable quaffer, one that's double dry-hopped with Meridien, Citra and Styrian Fox. Hazy in colour, the hop profile featured citrus, blackcurrant and berry with a light mouthfeel. Certainly… Read more
Golden Yellow
- Style
- DDH IPA
- ABV
- 5.5%
- Bitterness
- 43 IBU
Boston Brewing Blueberry Sour
Tapped November 4, 2020
Boston Brewing’s Afterglose was an early example of fruited sours really capturing zeitgeist attention in WA. Sagely, the raspberry gose was also a beer which remained in production, finding new fans over time, and becoming a Western Australian modern classic in the process. It’s a move which has also provided a platform for further sour exploration by the Denmark brewery. Here, Blueberry Sour takes a straightforward approach in adding to the lineage. The vivid hue isn't dissimilar to Afterglose's… Read more
Red
- Style
- Blueberry Sour
- ABV
- 5.0%
- Stockists
-
Available from the brewery
Boston Vic Park
And in limited release from WA stockists
More stockists...
Nail Brewing NBT Pale v9: Sabro
Tapped November 4, 2020
Nail’s continuing exploration of hops within the NBT series, which is designed to help them find the perfect pale ale with drinkers' assistance, arrives at batch #9 with Sabro Lupo Max as its centrepiece. This is a concentrated hop pellet version of hops, designed to remove vegetive matter to make it easier for brewers to extract a pure expression of the hop's innate character. The idea is that less hops are thus needed in the beer but, in typical Nail fashion, they’ve carried on with their normal… Read more
Golden Yellow
- Style
- Single Hop Pale Ale
- ABV
- 4.7%
Stone & Wood Counter Culture: The Earl Of Swirl
Tapped November 3, 2020
Given vast swathes of the local brewing industry have decided to dedicate a significant portion – if not all – of their time in the brewery working out how to include anything but the traditional water, malt, hops and yeast in their beers, it must be increasingly challenging to make a standout statement when you only choose to do such things a few times a year. Thus, with Stone & Wood's Counter Culture offshoot, it increasingly feels like the liquid element of each project is just part of… Read more
Red
- Style
- Berry Cream Sour
- ABV
- 6.9%
- Stockists
-
For more info and nearest stockists head here
Bright Tank Assalted Peach Gose
Tapped November 3, 2020
It’s interesting to consider what a brewpub team would have created for a mid-strength beer just five or so years ago. Chances are, it would have looked more like a malt driven Rogers' clone with more hops or some form of light lager – an afterthought at best. Yet, while not the reason for their rise to ubiquity, sours have certainly filled a hole most of us never considered: fruity, tart and highly sessionable beers which happens to be low ABV. As such, in the 20s there would be few breweries… Read more
Pale Yellow
- Style
- Peach Gose
- ABV
- 3.8%
- Stockists
-
Available from the brewery
And Bright Tank's WA stockists
Black Brewing Pineapple Coconut Gose
Tapped November 3, 2020
“If you like piña coladas … And beers by the lake” goes Black Brewing’s riff on the Rupert Holmes yacht rock classic. In the Margaret River brewery’s case, the lake is the substantial water on which the brewery and venue reside, while the tropical cocktail provides inspiration for the gose. While the adjuncts foreshadow the punchline, there’s a light touch of both here which keeps the beer sessionable for its 5 percent ABV. Pineapple acidity renders this drier than expected, and toasted… Read more
Pale Yellow
- Style
- Piña Colada Gose
- ABV
- 5.0%
- Stockists
-
Available from the brewery – with discount online for Crafty Cabal members
And Black's WA stockists
Modus Operandi Sour 01: Apricot & Sea Salt & Hazy Espresso XPA
Tapped November 2, 2020
Hollywood may be feeling the strain as cinemas the world over remain closed or operating under restrictions for some time yet. But one of the major studios' safest pre-pandemic bets when it comes to filling the coffers is alive and well in the beer world. In this era of unlimited limiteds, breweries are looking to instil some sense of order by creating sequels and series within their small batch release schedules, including Modus Operandi, who here follow up their Hazy Series (already up to number… Read more
Golden Yellow
- Style
- Coffee XPA
- ABV
- 5.0%
Big Shed & Ballistic Beer Oaked Guava Double IPA
Tapped November 2, 2020
For many months now, collaborations with interstate breweries have been difficult, or at least different to pre-pandemic days, with fun days in the brewery typically replaced by emails or video calls so recipes can be finalised ready for a lone brewery brew day. However, as soon as COVID-19 restrictions lifted between SA and Queensland, Big Shed and Ballistic jumped at the chance to collaborate face to face. In doing so, they started with a crowd favourite – Ballistic's excellent Oaked XPA –… Read more
Golden
- Style
- Oaked Guava Double IPA
- ABV
- 8.0%
Holgate Brewhouse Love All Alcohol Free Beer
Tapped November 2, 2020
It goes without saying that 2020 has been one screwy year – remember when we were all desperate for 2019 to end so we could start afresh...? Within the beer world, while the ongoing daftness at the pointy end – the world of ridiculously hopped hazies, fruit and lactose-laden tooth-rotters and the like – was already gathering serious steam, the double whammy of seltzers and alcohol-free beers flying out of an ever-growing number of breweries might have been foreseen, but to this extent? As the… Read more
Golden
- Style
- Alcohol Free Beer
- ABV
- Less than 0.5%
Little Bang Brewing Undercover Fashion Police 11: Hopocalypse Now
Tapped November 2, 2020
The 1979 American war movie Apocalypse Now is the inspiration for the eleventh iteration of Little Bang’s Undercover Fashion Police. For Hopocalypse Now, the ABV has been toned back down to 5.1 percent again and, just like the movie, Hopocalypse Now features a roll call of stellar characters. This action-packed NEIPA substitutes Marlon Brando with Citra, Robert Duvall with Galaxy and Martin Sheen for Vic Secret. Once the opening credits roll, it's more juicy thriller than dark meditation, as tropical… Read more
Golden Yellow
- Style
- NEIPA
- ABV
- 5.1%
Beerfarm & Mane Liquor The Mane Event
Tapped November 2, 2020
I’ll get this out of the way early: The Mane Event is remarkably well done. Normally, The Crafty Pint's editorial standards demand impartiality and a focus on storytelling and description, with the understanding there are thousands of readers, all with different beer knowledge, experience and palates. Rather than dictate, better to tell the story, recreate the experience in words, and let the drinker make their own assessment. What’s confronting now may well be transcendental to a drinker in… Read more
Golden Yellow
- Style
- Hazy Double IPA
- ABV
- 8.0%
- Stockists
-
Beerfarm – with discount for Crafty Cabal members
Besk
Beerfarm's WA stockists
More stockists...
Wild Hop New Releases – November 2020
Tapped November 1, 2020
Since launching in 2019, Wild Hop have treated guests to an ever-changing beer lineup that could well be on its way to featuring every recognisable style of beer on the planet. At any one time, their list features eleven original (in style and name) Wild Hop beers and one locally made cider, available for in-house consumption and takeaway growler fills. October and November 2020 saw hops well represented among the newcomers: Somersault Red IPA (5.5 percent ABV) has a malty disposition with notes… Read more
Golden
- Style
- Various styles
Moon Dog Pat Pash
Tapped October 31, 2020
So, which one are they going to run out of first: fruit or celebrity puns? The Magnificent Mullets series from Moon Dog has debuted another new fruit-faced, mulleted star ahead of summer 2020 in the shape of Pat Pash, a sour ale featuring, you guessed it, passionfruit. There's a fair bit of passionfruit in there too – 4.2 metric tonnes or approximately 150,000 fruits, which, if anything, gives you an idea of the size of Moon Dog's main brewery in Preston. That said, they present rather like passionfruit… Read more
Pale Yellow
- Style
- Passionfruit Sour Ale
- ABV
- 4.5%
Brisbane Brewing Co Walker Double Roundhouse Kick IIPA
Tapped October 30, 2020
Brisbane stalwarts Brisbane Brewing Co celebrated a significant milestone this October, releasing the 500th beer brewed in their West End brewery in the shape Walker Double Roundhouse Kick, an imperial IPA that clocks in at a hefty 11.8 percent ABV. Fans of BBCo will recognise the Walker name from their award-winning Walker IPA, with the Double Roundhouse Kick taking everything the BBCo team love about Walker and the quintessential late 90s/early 00s, classic West Coast IPAs it's modelled after,… Read more
Golden
- Style
- Imperial IPA
- ABV
- 11.8%
Innate Brewers & Copper & Oak Good Oke IPA
Tapped October 30, 2020
After 17 years in the game, the time was right for a Copper & Oak collaboration, and there was only one beer style that was suitable: a West Coast IPA. Beloved by owners Jose and Nelio Pestana, the conversation then turned to the store’s substantial spirits collection: why not include something from there? And why not add in a stave reference? While the classic style was pulled back towards a straight-ahead IPA by Innate’s Joel Nash to allow for better oak harmony, the final expression also… Read more
Golden
- Style
- Oaked IPA
- ABV
- 6.5%
- Stockists
-
Available from Copper & Oak
And WA Innate stockists
BentSpoke Brewing Co How's It Gosen? Cherry Sour
Tapped October 29, 2020
How's it gosen? Pretty good, thanks, BentSpoke, especially now those of us in the Victorian wing of the Crafty team are looking forward to pubs and travel and friends and Christmas and stuff. How's it's gosen with you guys and girls? A little sour 'n' salty, hey? Ah well, you're looking pretty in pink to me. Summer's coming, which means BentSpoke have returned to a template that worked well for them last time around, albeit with a new spin. The first How's It Gosen? featured passionfruit and mango… Read more
Red
- Style
- Cherry Gose
- ABV
- 4.0%
- Stockists
-
Available from the Braddon brewpub now
Nationwide from Nov 3
Crafty Cabal members have the chance to win a case too
More stockists...
Urban Alley Pear She Gose
Tapped October 29, 2020
Greeting Melbourne’s warmer weather and renewed freedom are Urban Alley with a fruited kettle sour named Pear She Gose. Made with both pear and ginger and pouring a hazy yellowish orange, it’s a beer that packs quite the whack of ginger too. The latter mixed with pear immediately brought to my mind a home-cooked pear cake but that's not to say the beer is in any way sweet. Quite the opposite, in fact:, it's very dry and that dryness combined with Pear She Gose's tart edge brings proceedings… Read more
Pale Yellow
- Style
- Gose
- ABV
- 5.3%
- Bitterness
- 12 IBU
White Rabbit Weisse-Ling & Sour Red
Tapped October 29, 2020
I’m sure it would have been easy for Lion to quietly shelve the wilder elements of their White Rabbit brand and stick to their popular Dark and White ales. One would think multinational breweries that value consistency and quality over all else would be terrified of having Brettanomyces-soaked barrels bubbling away in their midst. If nothing else, it’s testament to how far beer has come in Australia that White Rabbit now release their second and third mixed fermentation, barrel-aged beers in… Read more
Red
- Style
- Barrel-Aged Sour Ales
- ABV
- 4.8% & 4.9%
